1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to light therapy for the treatment of skin and, more particularly, to a phototherapy apparatus that includes a head canopy band having light generating sources and audio headphones, and wherein the device is capable of providing hands-free therapeutic aid to a user's skin by way of evenly distributed light of various beneficial wavelengths that is directed onto particular treatment areas of a user's skin.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
People are frequently confronted with a variety of different skin-related conditions, such as acne, sun spots, wrinkling of the skin, psoriasis and non-melanoma skin cancer. In response, an assortment of treatment products, each typically targeting one specific skin-related condition, have been developed over the past 75 years and made available to the public. Many of these products are in the form of a topical solution that requires an arduous application process.
More recently, the use of phototherapy to treat various skin conditions has become increasingly popular. Phototherapy consists of exposure to specific wavelengths of light using lasers, light emitting diodes (LED's) (both individual and arrays), IPL's (Intense Pulsed Light) and other light sources, for a prescribed amount of time to both treat disease and affect cosmetic enhancements to the skin. The use of phototherapy in medical science and aesthetics is rapidly evolving as more and more wavelengths of light are being identified to target various sections of cells in order to stimulate cellular proficiency and enhance the body's ability to heal and rejuvenate itself. Phototherapy is currently used to treat acne, wrinkles, sun and age spots, rosacia, eczema, and wound healing through wavelengths indicated by various colors (i.e., wavelengths) of the light spectrum. By utilizing various wavelengths, colors relatively close on the spectrum can cause different effects when applied to various parts on the body.
For example, red light at a wavelength between 650 and 670 nanometers has been clinically shown to cause increased melanin production and protein synthesis. Red and infrared lights have also been used to increase the production of collagen and to reduce redness, dilated capillaries and damage to the skin, as well as reduction of wrinkles and fine lines. Blue light has been clinically shown to reduce acne and, when combined with red light, eliminates acne and reduces the scarring often associated with acne treatment. Yellow and Amber lights have been clinically shown to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, rosacia, and can help to repair sun damaged skin. Green light has been shown to reduce and eliminate sun and age spots, lighten freckles and also help promote more luminous skin condition and overall radiance of the skin. As set forth above, many of these light sources have multiple benefits, cross over each other in treating certain ailments and work to promote a variety of benefits to the skin. These light sources are often used in combinations to provide increased efficacy and various degrees of stimulation.
Science throughout the years has determined the effects of various wavelengths of light, but absorption is the key to cellular change. Light therapy emits photons which are absorbed by the skins photoreceptors. Skin cells respond well to phototherapy involving low level light due to the fact that cells reside just underneath the skin surface, making these low levels of energy able to reach the receptor sites and induce photochemistry.
There are a number of phototherapy devices currently available for home use to treat skin conditions. The majority of these are hand held devices, varying in both size and number of light sources (i.e., laser diodes, LED's, or infrared diodes). These devices are manually moved around the face by the user and require a constant movement in order to expose the entire surface area to the light sources. This results in an uneven treatment protocol, as the average user is unlikely to be able to cover the entire surface area through manual movements and will leave certain areas untreated. Further, due to the need for a manageable size (must fit in the hand), these devices are often underpowered.
Several phototherapy devices have been developed that are adapted to be portably worn by a user in a hands-free mode of operation. For example, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2006/0030908 to Powell et al. discloses a skin treatment phototherapy device that may comprise a clamshell structure, pen shape, facial mask, or desk lamp design, and which includes multi-colored LEDs. The Powell device attempts to treat a variety of skin conditions on the face and other skin regions below the user's head. Depending on the skin condition to be treated, the corresponding wavelengths, intensity levels, and time interval for the skin treatment can be varied by a control system. However, this device lacks a suitable structure and design for directing an evenly distributed light pattern.
The present invention provides the home use equivalent of a clinical stationary laser phototherapy system in a convenient and easy to use device. Moreover, the present invention provides the added benefit of ensuring a uniformly consistent distance from each of the light emitting sources to the skin.
The present invention seeks to address the limitations and shortcomings of the above described phototherapy treatment devices, by providing a canopy band having an array of light emitting sources optimally positioned for application of light from the array of light emitting sources to the face of the user. The phototherapy device is designed to maximize the efficiency of a variety of skin treatments through use of either fixed or removable canopy bands or plates that are fitted with an array of light emitting sources.